Hang Tough(15)
Bombs that landed on Tobin’s head. “Ow. Ow. Fuck.”
Jade whirled around and glared at him. “What is wrong with you? You see a woman standing on the counter and decide to cop a feel?”
Tobin stared at her, dumbfounded. “The only reason I grabbed your ass was to keep you from falling on it!”
“I had it under control.”
“Like hell you did.” Now he was pissed. “So excuse the fuck out of me for trying to keep you from getting hurt. None of the cookbooks beaned you in the noggin, did they?”
She blinked those golden-brown eyes at him. “No.”
“Lucky you. Three bounced off my head. I’m still seeing stars.”
Then she smirked. “More’s the pity none of them hit you hard enough to knock you out.”
Un.Be.Lieve.Able.
“But since you’re here and your contribution to GG’s household is using your muscles, can you reattach the shelf so it won’t crash down again?”
His first response—If you think you’re so smart, why don’t you fix it?—remained trapped in his throat. He couldn’t leave it half-assed and let it crash down and hurt someone. “Fine. I’ll get the ladder, which is a pretty handy tool for climbing up to retrieve things out of your reach. Have you heard of one?”
“Ooh, cowboy charm has a bite. Yes, I’ve heard of a ladder. I actually searched for one. But since GG isn’t here—”
“Where is she?”
“Lunch at the Lions Club with her Mud Lilies friends. I guess they planned to teach some cougars a lesson about . . . poaching?” Confusion clouded her eyes. “Do you have any idea what that means?”
“It means the Mud Lilies are stirring up shit in Rawlins.” He stacked the books on the table. “What were you doin’ with all the cookbooks anyway?”
“Moving them.” She gestured to a two-tiered shelving unit filled with knickknacks. “GG has better access to them there.”
That actually made sense. But . . . “Did Miz G ask you to do this?”
“No. I was bored so I thought I’d surprise her.” Jade jumped down. “I’ll get out of your way.”
And she’d stayed out of his way.
Until Miz G came home and Jade threw him under the bus.
Tobin just happened to be putting away his tools in the mudroom when Garnet strolled into the kitchen. She gasped. “What’s this? Why are all of my cookbooks down here?”
“You don’t . . . like them there?” Jade asked warily.
Yeah, sweetheart, you probably should’ve cleared this “surprise” with her first, Tobin thought smugly.
“I’m not one for change, Jade,” Garnet said mulishly. “I like things the way I like them.”
“But it’s not entirely my fault! I was up on the counter, getting some cookbooks, when Tobin barreled into the kitchen, scaring the life out of me. I lost my balance, fell forward and grabbed on to the shelf. All of the cookbooks crashed down—”
“On top of you? Oh, sweetheart, that’s awful! Were you hurt? Are you okay?”
Tobin rubbed the bump behind his right temple, annoyed she hadn’t clarified that he’d borne the brunt of the falling books.
“I’m fine. But your shelf? Not so much. Tobin tried to fix it, but he claims the shelf wasn’t meant to hold heavy cookbooks. That’s why I swapped out your knickknacks.”
Oh, you little liar.
But she hadn’t really . . . lied. She’d merely twisted things around to save her own cute butt.
Tactical error, darlin’. One that’s gonna cost you. Because now? It was on.
Tobin opened and closed the back door as if he’d just waltzed in. “Hey, Miz G. How was your lunch?”
“Boring. No Jell-O fights. No hair pulling. Pearl didn’t even get to whack anyone with her cane.” Her eyes turned shrewd. “Next time you think about messing around with any of my stuff without asking first? Don’t.”
Jade looked guilty as hell.
“Understood.”
She patted his arm, as if all was forgiven. “Now be a dear and grab the bags of top soil out of my trunk.”
“You didn’t have to buy dirt. I would’ve dug up soil out of the garden for you.”
“I appreciate that. But my potted petunias are looking puny and my buddy Tony the Stoner said my soil might be worn out and I need to repot them.”
Jade choked on her glass of water.
Miz G whacked her hard on the back. “Lordy, I’d hate to imagine how badly you’d fare after a prairie fire shot if you choke on water, Jade.”
Tobin hid his smirk, waiting to see how she’d respond to that.